Generally, cloud services provide different service types and charge different fees. Since a user often uses a plurality of cloud services, based in part on the service type and fee, the user needs to undergo authentication for each cloud service, which can be troublesome since each could service requires authentication. If the same password is used for authentication across multiple cloud services in an attempt to alleviate the difficulty, security deteriorates.
In order to avoid such difficulty, systems are known that use single sign-on that enables the user who has undergone a specific kind of authentication to skip other kinds of authentication that may be required.
Typical authentication methods that utilize single sign-on include “reverse proxy authentication” and “agent module authentication.” Both of these authentication methods may cooperate with a plurality of servers that provide cloud services.
In reverse proxy authentication, an authentication server that receives a first-time authentication request from the user is utilized. When the first-time authentication is successful on the authentication server, the authentication server issues access tickets to a plurality of cloud servers that provide cloud services and transmits the access tickets to the user.
In agent module authentication, authentication software called “agent” that performs an authentication substitution process is installed in each of the plurality of cloud servers that provide the cloud services, and an authentication server that receives the first-time authentication request from the user is also utilized. When the first-time authentication is successful on the authentication server, the authentication server issues access tickets to the plurality of cloud servers and transmits the access tickets. The “agent” verifies authenticity of the access ticket by querying a back-end server.
Reverse proxy authentication and agent module authentication, described above, necessitate the use of an authentication server, a back-end server, authentication software, the issuance of an access ticket, and the like, which may complicate the authentication process.